LONDON, Dec 15, SPA -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obamamust make the Middle East peace process an urgent priority,British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Monday, reported reuters. The outgoing Bush administration had wanted an agreement onPalestinian statehood by the end of this year, but a lack ofprogress has left hopes pinned on a fresh approach from Obamawhen he takes office in January. "The 22 Arab states calling on President-elect Obama toprioritise achieving a comprehensive plan is a very importantdevelopment indeed," Brown told reporters after talks withPalestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. "We are very much of the same view... We are working hard toensure that progress is possible during 2009." Brown, who is scheduled to hold talks with Israeli PrimeMinister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday, repeated his call for thewithdrawal of Israeli settlements from occupied land and afreeze on settlement expansion. "Everybody now sees the contours of what a two-statesolution would look like ... One of the blockages to that isclearly the settlement issue," Brown said. "I hope in the coming days we can move further and fastertowards the peace settlement that everyone wants to see happen." --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/616478